Eight-year-old boy dies after 21-mile journey to hospital

An eight-year-old boy has died after he became ill at home and had to be driven to an A&E department 21 miles away - despite living within two miles of another hospital.

Callum Cartlidge suffered a cardiac arrest at his house in Redditch on Friday after visiting his GP earlier in the week with tonsillitis and stomach ache.

Callum's parents said ambulance staff asked to take him to the Alexandra Hospital just 1.9 miles away from the family home, but instead were sent to Worcestershire Royal Hospital which is 21 miles away.

Paramedics managed to get Callum to the Worcestershire Royal A&E department in 23 minutes, but sadly nothing could be done to save him.

Posting on Facebook, Callum's mum wrote: "RIP my darling son Callum. Words cannot describe how we are all feeling.

"I love you so much son, fly high baby boy I will see you again I promise. Goodnight darling."

She also shared a link to a fundraising page which has been set up by Callum's aunt, Anita Walsh, to pay for a headstone and a memorial garden.

The schoolboy's death comes in the middle of a consultation period as to whether children's services should be kept at the Alexandra Hospital.

In September it was announced no paediatric emergencies would be taken to Alexandra Hospital because of a shortage of junior doctors.

A spokesperson for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust confirmed an investigation would be launched into Callum's case.

He said: "The trust offers sincere condolences to the family.

"As with any sudden unexpected death in childhood there will be a referral to the coroner, a post mortem and a full external sudden unexpected deaths in childhood (SUDIC) investigation as well as our own internal processes for an serious incident investigation.

"Until our investigations have been completed we cannot comment further."